72 Hours Season 1 Episode 8 Review – “The Rockies”

Dropped into the southern Rocky Mountains, three teams composed of three strangers must navigate their way through towering peaks and dense forests while enduring unpredictable weather in order to locate a briefcase full of cash in just 72 hours. All they have to accompany them in their quest for $100,000 are their teammates, the clothes on their backs, a GPS and one bottle of water (per person until they call a relief drop, which contains 5 gallons and costs an hour of time).

The plot of this episode is pretty simple, although now that I’ve seen the editing of our episode, I’m realizing this is probably not at all how it happened out there, but…the review is on the edited TV version.

So..the plot…yeah…

Blue team has the lead in the beginning, being the team that has the most comic relief, thanks to the flaming diva, Dewayne (meant as a total compliment)!!! The boys are following the hard core kickboxing instructor. I knew they’d win from the very beginning when Jerica gave them her water. That’s an obvious awareness of the weakest link’s needs. Bravo!

Blue and Green teams are neck and neck in the beginning. It seems that Blue gets a relief drop first because the boys are thirsty and Jerica is conscious of the fact. The first night Dewayne starts a fire and we all celebrated with him…Then Robert tells him to go get some pants on…(we all cracked up at that). Meanwhile Anthony decides to be a super trooper and have no concept of his weakest link’s needs, pushing them up the steepest path possible without communicating.

Red team has a Rita, too! (NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH HURRICANE RITA!!!!!!!!) This one IS the weakest link. She’s complaining, hungry, snotty, and demanding a relief drop as well. J.D., the firefighter of the crew, decides that his non-selfish moment will be to not lose it on the girl. Good choice. She didn’t seem like the type that would be able to handle the tough motivation tactic. They get a relief drop, but she refuses to eat because it’s disgusting and she wanted bread…

Huh.

So back to Green. Anthony throws a temper tantrum because after he pushes his weakest link to her limits without regard for her wellbeing, she needed to rest for a few hours. Teresa began to puke. Suddenly he’s trying to take care of her, but as soon as they try to take off again…he gets into an argument with Lissy and quits!

Yes. He flippin’ quits.

You can tell he’s not stoked about the decision, but being 24 and thinking he’s a tough guy, he refuses to go back on his decision and embrace the awesomeness of the experience…and Green Team is out.

Wow. I think I choked down a bit of vomit when I thought of how he squandered probably the most awesome experience he’d ever have.

So Red and Blue are within 500 meters or feet (I forget), and they get to the supply drop just about at the same time. The money’s on top of Mt. Baldy at 12,500 ft. In that moment, we figured blue would smoke it, since they’d gotten 2 supply drops and had eaten while red team’s weakest link had refused a sweet potato and canned rattle snake.

They choose the direct, straight up the crazy mountain route, while red chooses a longer, easier path. Dewayne is ready to quit near the top because…he can…until he hears the red team and suddenly finds the energy to run again!

Blue wins! YAY!

Now for teams….

Red Team (Should be called Rita and her saviors since the camera only focused on her inability to do anything but complain)

Rita (NOT ME) – You never learned to double knot your shoes? Really? First off, great job finishing, but really…I’m not sure you should go on another adventure like this one without a firefighter or two to take care of you. Apparently you and I had COMPLETELY different takes on Brandon, our host. I was much less impressed by a guy who flies in on a helicopter then sleeps in a hotel while 9 strangers truly LIVE in the elements! Maybe trying new things on an adventure like this would have done you some good…perhaps trying food…

J.D. – Nice job having patience with Rita (NOT ME) and taking care of your team. If it wasn’t for you, Rita wouldn’t have made it past the drop zone. Sorry we didn’t get to know your character too much since they focused on Rita’s ineptitude the whole time.

Vince – You completed just about this ENTIRE journey with your soles duct taped to you! Awesome! Good effort!

Blue Team

Jerica – As I said earlier, way to take care of your weakest link! If you had just said no to water and pushed them, they wouldn’t have worked nearly as hard for you. Smart race! Good effort!

Dewayne – You kept us laughing the ENTIRE time! Thank you for making this much more of a comedy than a drama! Nice job finishing! Nice job on the fire! The message I’ve been saying nearly every episode in the reviews: Your body can ALWAYS go further than your mind!!! Nicely done all the way around…although a little less whining might be in order if you ever come to the wilderness again.

Robert – I didn’t get to see much of you in the episode until you started being a douche to Dewayne towards the end. You’re lucky he didn’t quit on you when he sat down on that rock. Most times positive motivation is the way to go. Tough guy “man up” comments aren’t generally the way to go. Trust me, the army taught me that, too…but they are wrong.

Green Team

Anthony – Ummmm…I remember you from LA. I remember taking a few silent walks and hearing your attitude towards…everything. I distinctly remember hoping and wishing I wouldn’t get you on my team. I was right to do so. I feel horrible for Teresa and Lissy. You work with special needs children? Really? Such an angry, hateful, nasty attitude working with kids? Try smiling more. Try not being so caught up in needing to be right that you take for granted a ONCE IN A LIFETIME opportunity to exist in the wild and truly enjoy an experience. I think the editing made you into more or less of a douche than you truly are…I’m not sure which one…but I can’t believe you would quit without having a true need to bow out!!! Ugh…. Wait. I’m not finished! I was on a team with two girls and one guy. I know plenty of chicks that would smoke you in an endurance race! Watch your mouth! I’ve learned to walk twice now and I’m positive I could out run you…all I’d have to do is talk a little shit and you’d quit as soon as you got behind.

Teresa – I’m sorry you didn’t get a more full experience from this opportunity. A supportive team could have helped you make it through without getting sick.

Lissy – I’m sorry for your team placement as well. The first time (in the edit) that you stand up for yourself, he quits on you. That sucks. It’s much more fun to push your body to it’s absolute limits than to have to bow out towards the beginning. :/

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About Hurricane Rita

An 8 1/2 year wounded OIF/OEF U.S. Army veteran, who grew tired of the system, sold her things, and moved into the back of her Rav4 after becoming a civilian in 2010. Then drove to Alaska and became a river guide on the largest bald eagle preserve in the world while healing in a cabin outside of town without electricity and plumbing. A runner, dance instructor, dance fitness instructor, and Couchsurfing traveler, she was chosen to participate in the action packed adventure, 72 Hours, on TNT. It aired on July 25, 2013 at 10:00PM. She went on the show to get her brother a wheel chair. Upon her return to the states from Fiji she found out she had contracted rat lungworm disease from eating a raw slug while filming the show. Ironically, having gone on the adventure to get a wheel chair for her brother, not only did her team lose in an upsetting manner (A teammate deliberately sabotaged the win), but then she found herself in a wheel chair herself. Paralyzed from the waste down, bladder and colon shut down, nerve damage over half of her body...She survived a great deal, but consuming a raw slug was what nearly killed her. A miraculous story of inspiration, recovery, and acceptance, she's getting better day by day, all the while with a positive attitude that proves contagious. Read on, Storm Watchers!

I am RITA from the show and I know how to tie my shoes. J.D. wasn’t a savior..he just wanted to play the role of one. We were behind on day one bc of him #justsayin…
ps if I didn’t want to eat that nasty food then that’s MY business. The boys ate my portion so it was a win win for all of us. I knew my body would not quit on me. Have a good day!

🙂 Sure. Just stay out of survival situations if J.D. isn’t around. That’s all. And get some sort of shoe that doesn’t need to be tied so you don’t have to defend not tying your shoes…and eat bread. Then you’ll be set.

Wow, pretty passive aggressive I must say RITA from the show! Rita’s review must have really hit home huh? Made you feel like you really had to “clear the air” of sorts? I guess when there is guilt involved, it’s human nature to go on the defensive. It’s Rita’s review in the first place, on her personal blog, her personal opinions. Sometimes it can hurt when its the truth cant it? Ouch! Well, just goes to show that some people are just not cut out for survival scenarios. Have a GREAT DAY!